Hot peppers in an IPA

Ingredients
1

I plan on making a 3 gallon batch of Habanero IPA.

When would you add hot peppers?

2

I’ve only made one pepper ale and that was 11 or 12 years ago.  I used jalapenos and added them with 15 minutes left in the boil.  It took a very large dose of courage to drink that beer.  ::)  It finally mellowed out about 3 years later.  It had no head and fizzed like champagne.

Lately people have been suggesting that you “dry-pepper” the beer.  Just split the peppers and add them after the primary fermentation is done.  This seems like a way to better control the heat. IMHO

Paul

3

Boil, chill, and transfer to your fermenter - then add the peppers to the kettle.

4

Personally, never…and I LOVE habs!  But if you’re determined to do it, add them to secondary.

5

I have never brewed one, but had a very tasty one where the hombrewer added one habanero in a secondary fermenter for about a week.  He removed the seeds and most of the “ribs”.

6

Thanks for the replies. Looks like the secondary is the time to throw in the pepper!

I wrote a “Habanero Cookbook” book a while back and everyone I know now expects a habanero beer. hehe

https://www.createspace.com/3437866

7

Don’t go overboard.  I had somebody give me a habanero mead once that almost killed me.  I get a little heat from 1/2 a hab, deseeded, in 5 gallons, still drinkable but noticable.
I like to use poblanos for flavor.  Two or three in 5 gallons.
I found that if you flame the outer shiney skin off the peppers first it helps with head retention.

8

A local brewpub makes an Anaheim Pepper IPA and it. is. FANTASTIC.

It won a gold at the Brewers’ Cup this year for Spice/Herb/Vegetal and was in the mix for BOS.

I asked the brewer about adding the peppers, and he had a few tips:

  • He is extremely diligent about seeding and removing the ribs to maximize flavor and minimize heat (there will be enough heat - esp. w/ habs).

  • He adds them all at secondary, lets the beer sit on them and tastes every day until the flavor is right, and then transfers immediately to the bright tank.

  • He treats it just like dry-hopping. He err’s on the side of high amounts of peppers with less contact time to minimize (displeasing) vegetal flavors.

I would add that roasting the peppers might also be nice. I think it would bring out a lot of the chilies fruity flavors and mimize vegetal flavors. The anaheim IPA does not have roasted chilies. The “green” flavor from the anaheim is actually very complementary.

9

I make an award winning Green Chile Blonde and I add the peppers to the secondary. I actually roast mine on the BBQ, put them in plastic bags, and freeze them. Freezing is supposed to rupture the cell walls and let more of the “goodness” out.  I then put the frozen, whole (skins, seeds, etc) pepper in the secondary and rack the beer onto it.  Habanero sounds great, and I could be wrong, but won’t it “fight” the hops too much in an IPA?

10

Thanks for all the replies!

This is my idea that I am pretty set on to brew in a couple weeks -

Habanero IPA

3 gallon batch w/ 45min boil
ABV: ~6.68 %
IBU’s: ~77.00

6lbs    NB Pilsen Malt Syrup
4-8oz   Briess Caramel 60L

.5oz  Warrior 45 mins
.5oz  Warrior      20 mins
1oz    Tettnang 15 mins
.50tsp Irish Moss 15 mins
.25oz  Orange Peel  10 mins
1oz Crystal         1 mins

1oz Cascade dry hop
1    Habanero secondary

1.00 pkg Safale US-05

11

Sounds interesting, let us know how it comes out!

I have had a few chili beers before and I want to like them, and I do if they are well done and not terribly hot.

Obviously the most famous is the most horrific - cave creek chili beer.  Absolutely terrible (and surprisingly, still in demand, lol).

Rogue’s chipotle ale actually grew on me, it’s quite interesting even if a little weird.  Every now and then I get a bomber and drink the whole thing by myself.  The heat is absolutely perfect on that one (it must be tough to replicate batches).

That ghost chili thing that someone brought to a tasting in St Louis scared me.

I will probably try a pepper beer at some point.  Poblanos sounds like a good idea, as they are about the right amount of flavor and heat for me (in food) and would likely make a beer that I would find tasty.

12

I’m getting ready to bottle a force carbd’ Oatmeal rosemary IPA (dryhopped with .75 fresh rosemary along with some Simcoe and Citra pellets). It is fantastic. I wasnt sure how it would turn out, but it’s surprisingly appealing, kinda like pineapple on pizza- who’da thought right?
Now i have these little Thai peppers I was going to add to 6 of the 12 oz. bottles for fun. After all, thi is a “project Brew”.